Every year, the World Health Organization (WHO) presents awards to key people and/or organizations that have made valuable contributions to tobacco control and have helped make World No Tobacco Day and its theme a great success. These awards are an expression of WHO's appreciation of the great time and effort that these contributors have invested in the campaigns, as well as in fighting tobacco.
This year, five World No Tobacco Day awards were presented to:
Professor Dr Sherif Omar, President of the Egyptian Cancer Society, Egypt
Dr Ahmed Hamed Atteya, Head of the Central Association Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Egypt
Professor Dr Mohamad Bartal, Respiratory Diseases Department, Medical School of Casablanca, Morocco
Mr Khalid Sibaithi, Head of the Medina Anti-smoking Association, Saudi Arabia
Professor Dr Ibrahim El Gharbi, Founder of the National League Against Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases, Tunisia
These individuals have been actively working in tobacco control for years. They have participated in numerous tobacco control-related activities to raise the awareness of the general public and decision-makers about tobacco and its harmful effects, as well as about the importance of adopting and implementing tobacco control laws. They have also been instrumental in advocating for the signature and ratification of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
